We’ve got your number…or have we?!?

In 2013 there are very few people who could say that they don’t know who the ‘Men with the moustaches’ are – you know the ones; Dodgy 80’s sports gear, curly ‘Scouse’ wigs and a certain numerical catchphrase! But the question is, whilst they may indeed ‘have your number’, do the key people you want to reach? Are you sending out the right information?

Over the past 20 years telephone numbers have gone through significant change, especially on the South Coast. When Idealogy was first born as Selling Ideas in 1989, our dialing code was 0703. Fast forward to the mid 90’s and we all had to add an extra 1  to become 01703 and then, in 1999 we had the biggest and seemingly most confusing change – we were joined with Portsmouth and the two area codes became 023.




This latest change seems to have been the most confusing of all; Southampton numbers became 023 80XX XXXX and Portsmouth numbers became 023 92XX XXXX but still today we see numbers – from clients, suppliers and new business prospects alike – formatted in the wrong way. We’ve see all manner of formats including; 02380 211642, 023 80 211 642, 0 2380 211642 and bizarrely enough 02 380211 642.

The easiest way to remember the format is this; both dialing codes (01703 and 01705) became 023 with all Southampton telephone numbers having 80 added onto them, whilst all Portsmouth numbers had 92 added on to them. Effectively you can be in Southampton and call Portsmouth as a local call as you are under the same dialing code because you don’t even need to prefix it with 023!

“So, what’s the point of this blog?!” You may ask. “The change happened so long ago and we’ve not had any problems!” You may say. But as an old boss of mine used to say “The Devil is in the detail!”

You may have an abundance of telephone calls coming in, but if you are sending out information as crucial as a telephone number, surely it’s better it’s formatted correctly? Having it written wrong on a website, a business card or a piece of direct mail can make your company or service look unprofessional. I confess that as Office Manager I will (initially) overlook anything that comes in with 02380 instead of 023 80. It may seem wrong but it’s just one of my bug bears. But that one piece of direct mail that you sent through that had your telephone number on it in the wrong way could have cost you a customer and if it’s costing you one, chances are it’s costing you many, many more!

Right, now that’s off my chest, it’s time to go and triple check all of our literature to ensure nothing has slipped through the net – we may not have your number, but hopefully, you have ours!

Posted by Dan Ferrett